Friday, November 9, 2007

I'm sure almost all wildlife-conscious folks out there have heard about the dire peril amphibian species the world across are facing, due to habitat loss, chytrid fungus and other threats. One conservation group that is gaining momentum is the Amphibian Ark, which is preparing for 2008, The Year of the Frog, a campaign to increase awareness and raise funds for the conservation plan. The conservation plan focuses on the species not easily saved in the wild, by taking some into captivity and establishing breeding programs for later reintroduction. It may be a controversial approach to some, but given the impending doom facing many species, establishing a breeding pool in captivity may be the only option we have left. I highly encourage you to check out Amphibian Ark, and consider helping any way you can. You can also check out Frog Matters, the blog of an Amphibian Ark activist.

Great news on the Amphibian Ark front: The association of biology teachers is lining up with Amphibian Ark to take on the fight to save hundreds of endangered species of frogs and other amphibians. Jeff Corwin’s video thanking them, and a link to the news release, are posted on my frog blog: http://frogmatters.wordpress.com/2007/11/29/jeff-corwin-video-thanks-biology-teachers-for-hopping-on-board/ This is really important. Consider the sheer, numerical power of the partnership:•There are 6,000 biology teachers that are in the association… •And let’s say each of them has 100 students… •And each of those students has a sibling, and 1.5 parents, and 2 grandparents, and 2 close friends — and tells them all about the crisis •That’s 6,000 teachers, 600,000 students, another 600,000 sisters and brothers, 900,000 parents, 1.2 million grandparents, and another 1.2 million friends — all informed, spreading the word, demanding and taking action

Like a frog jumping into a pond, the ripple effect of biology teachers rallying behind Amphibian Ark can be transformational for this cause. So I salute the teachers, and Jeff Corwin for doing all he can to raise awareness. You're making a huge difference.